Article February 7, 1995

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NAR TO CLOSE N.Y. OFFICE: North American Rayon Corp. is closing its three-person New York sales office, effective March 1. The company said it is consolidating those operations at its Elizabethton, Tenn.,...

NAR TO CLOSE N.Y. OFFICE: North American Rayon Corp. is closing its three-person New York sales office, effective March 1. The company said it is consolidating those operations at its Elizabethton, Tenn., headquarters, where one new position is being created.Paul Lamprinakos, NAR's director of director of northern sales, will work out of his New Jersey home and will continue to service NAR's customers in the New York area. NAR says none of its customers will be affected by the move.On another NAR front, the company said employment and production levels are up at its Elizabethton plant since it ended its strike with the United Textile Workers of America in December. At that time, about 800 hourly workers returned to work. As of Friday, hourly employment stood at 950. Still, the number is below the pre-strike employment level, which was 1,500.NAR said production, however, has exceeded pre-strike levels--even though the company has fewer employees--as demand has increased for its rayon fiber products. NAR says all strikers have been offered the opportunity to return to work, though not necessarily at the same job they had prior to the strike.

AN F.I.T. VALENTINE: To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, The Textile Distributors Association and The American Printed Fabrics Council will host a Valentine's Day party Feb. 14, with all proceeds benefiting the school. The evening event, "Fashion Is a Verb!--Expanding the Definition," highlights an exhibition opening the same day and running through April 29 at The Museum at FIT. About 200 people from the textile industry are expected. Reservations are required and can be made through the TDA's New York office. Tickets reserved in advance are $65; at the door, they are $75.

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In yet another fashion show shuffle, @elleryland is moving its show in sync with the Paris couture calendar — though the brand is still keeping one foot on the city’s ready-to-wear schedule. Their runway show in January will coincide with the launch of a new strategy: designing two main collections each year instead of four, which will then be released in four drops. “As we all know, the system needs to change. We need to show sooner to give time back to artisans and designers to do what they do best — create,” said founder Kym Ellery. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @kukukuba)

@maxmara’s classic 101801 coat was the cornerstone of its pre-fall 2018 collection. The design team expanded the traditional double-breasted, kimono-sleeved style into a trapeze coat, lean belted styles and a peacoat and presented them in monochromatic looks – like the camel one pictured here. #wwdfashion #prefall18 (📷: George Chinsee)

The @cfda has shifted the dates of #NYFW, with Men’s showing on February 5 through February 7, and Women’s will directly follow, running from February 8 through 14. The preliminary schedule will be released on the CFDA’s web site in the next few days, but Mark Beckham, VP of marketing for the CFDA, revealed that @rafsimons will be back to close the men’s-specific part of the week with a show on February 7 #wwdfashion (📷: Kelly Taub)

@ferragamo is introducing a new space dedicated to the development of women’s and men’s leather good samples. The laboratory, which is created eco-friendly materials and designed to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing processes, will allow the company to expand its accessories offering through traditional artisanal approaches. #wwdfashion (📷: @aitorrosasphoto)

How does a “regular, degular, schmegular” girl from the Bronx, N.Y., become a Grammy-nominated artist with a certified platinum record in less than a year? Call it the @iamcardib come up. The 25-year-old has become a musical sensation, and the fashion world is taking note. “If I could describe her style I would say drama. She’s really into the dramatics,” says Cardi B’s stylist @kollincarter. See how Carter styles her bold and out there looks with the link in bio. #wwdfashion

“There is no formula. There is no guideline. I can watch Ted Talks all day, but there is no one who can advise me on exactly what it is I should be doing,” said @ronniefieg, CEO of @kith, in an interview with WWD’s @ariahughes at the brand’s new SoHo office in Manhattan. Head to WWD.com to see how Fieg went from hanging out in shoe stockrooms at 13 to building his own business. #wwdfashion (📷: @weston.wells)

@fearofgod and @maxfieldla have teamed up on a pop-up installation. The store, located in the gallery space across from Maxfield’s Melrose Ave location, is the site of the brand’s House of God pop-up in which Fear of God founder @jerrylorenzo has created a church-inspired installation. A dozen vintage church pews sit in front of an LED screen playing 90s gospel singers in an effort to re-create an environment akin to a Southern Baptist Church, Lorenzo explained. Read more about the pop-up on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: Jennifer Johnson)

Known for his sleek, sophisticated American glamour, Norman Norell is the subject of an upcoming exhibition at @fitnyc. “Norell: Dean of American Fashion,” which runs from February 9 through April 14, will feature approximately 100 ensembles and accessories. His best work is exemplified by the designer’s glittering “mermaid” gowns frosted with thousands of hand-sewn sequins – like the one pictured. (📷: William Helburn) #wwdfashion

For pre-fall 2018, @balmain didn’t let go of the glitz. A crystal embroidered baseball jacket priced at around $40,000 hangs in the “couture” section of the brand’s first men’s pre-collection. Sporting the words “Balmain Army” across the back, the item took around two months to make. “When it was completed, it was like Christmas, it was like, ‘It’s done, it’s exactly what I wanted,’” said Balmain’s creative director @olivier_rousteing during a tour of the collection in a Paris showroom on Monday. #wwdfashion